


Kevin Levin Did Not Sign Up For This Sh*t

by MashpotatoeQueen5



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: A Ben 10 Sleeping Beauty AU, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Sleeping Beauty Fusion, And Kevin's being dragged along for the ride, And also Ben's sleeping beauty????, And really desperate to get her idiot kid cousin back, BAMF Gwen Tennyson, Basically, Because SCREW gender roles, Because everything's traumatic when you're a superhero!, Ben 10 Sleeping Beauty AU's, Ben gets a well deserved nap, Ben is Sleeping Beauty, Camping, Childhood Trauma, Crack Treated Seriously, Epic Battles, Fairy Tale Curses, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Logic, Fairy Tale Parody, Fights, Fire, Fluff and Crack, Forever Knights are forever annoying, Gen, Grandpa Max is dead, Gwen Tennyson is scarily competent, Gwen's rescuing her idiot cousin, He's not very good at it, Horseback Riding, Horses, I am a scale of confusion and very little can stop me from falling into the abyss, Kevin Levin Redemption, Magic, PLEASE HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME, Please understand I have literally no clue what I am doing at any given point of time, Redemption, Sleeping Beauty Elements, That suddenly developed feelings, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, This entire fic is basically Kevin trying to convince himself he's not a good person, Well - Freeform, Which makes me sad because I kind of love him, Yes Kevin's car is a horse, You know what I have created?, You know what this world doesn't need?, also there's some lukewarm romance thrown in there, but convenient plotwise, for some added flavouring, hooray!, i have seen like, i know my talents and action sequences are not one of them, made up villains because i do not have the patience to research, maybe twenty episodes from this show, mediocre battles at least, or - Freeform, think of a ramen packet level of romantic arcs, you're welcome world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24578452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MashpotatoeQueen5/pseuds/MashpotatoeQueen5
Summary: Kevin smirked. Couldn’t help it. Sothatwas what this was about.“Ah, so you ladies need some man power to take out the baddie. Got it.”Gwen snorted.“What? No. We already took him out: he’s in custody now. And we actually already tracked Ben down, too, except we can’t get to him because there’s this stupid wall that’s impervious to magic and can’t get knocked down. It needs a key, a very specific key that’s being keptinsidethe wall, and has to match the exact material of the wall- which was magically made and therefore can’t be mined and recreated naturally- to work.”Kevin had an inkling as to where this was going, and he didn't like it. At all.Gwen looked at him, and her smirk was something akin to what Kevin definitely listed as evil.“Youare going to be my key.”(Otherwise known as that Ben 10 Sleeping Beauty AU that literally no one has ever asked for- and no one ever will- that my muse saw fit to provide.)
Relationships: Ben Tennyson & Gwen Tennyson, Kevin Levin & Ben Tennyson, Kevin Levin/Gwen Tennyson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	1. be afraid of girls with swords

**Author's Note:**

> Please take this flaming garbage can and send me validation in turn. Please.

Kevin was, for once, minding his own business. He wasn’t smuggling goods, wasn’t running from the warrior brigade, and wasn’t stealing knickknacks from unsuspecting patrons.

No, he was just walking the Forest Trail, heading to his current campsite after a long day of scouting.

It was just his luck that this would be the moment that he gets captured by a blast of pink, swinging him upside down like a pandemonium. 

He yelled, struggling and trying to squirm his way out of the strange glow that had captured him, trying to reach out and touch _something_ to better prepare himself for the inevitable fight, but he was suspended mid air, far away from any useful, touchable substance.

Which was… frustrating, to say the least.

And then two young women appeared before him, their faces drawn down into scowls, and Kevin stumbled upon the very obvious and highly worrisome conclusion that he was screwed.

But admitting that would go against his code on being, well, cool and tough and someone not to be messed with, so instead he glared and said, “What are you doing? Let me go!”

Like a total badass. Yeah. 

By the looks on the young women’s faces, they were not impressed by his act. Or even very convinced.

The taller woman, the magic user with the bright red hair pulled back and brilliant green eyes, dressed in a simple blue tunic with white italices and a pair of brown pants- an odd outfit for any woman of any standing to wear, which made Kevin do a double take upon first realizing she was actually wearing _trousers_ and not a dress- sighed, her face pinched and actually rather terrifying, her left hand raised and connecting to the pink entrapment currently holding him captive.

“Kevin Levin, right?”

She managed to make it sound more like a statement than a question.

He scowled. Nodded. No use in denying it, especially when they already clearly knew.

The other girl (and she was more of girl instead of a woman, this one, younger, with bright brown eyes and strangely short hair tucked behind her ears. She was also dressed more traditionally, with a pale pink gown, and Kevin wouldn’t give her a second glance if not for the sword at her hip) grinned, but at the same time her hands kept fidgeting to her dress, and her eyes seemed worried and drawn.

She turned to the redhead.

“See! I told you we’d find him around here. Ship is never wrong.”

A whirring sound filled the forest, sounding oddly… pleased. Kevin tensed, jerking his head around as best as he could in his confines, but he could spot nothing.

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up. We found him, that’s the important part.”

Kevin scowled again, looking at the two woman in front of him.

“Look, not that I want to be rude or anything, but who are you guys? And what do you want with me?

The redhead scowled. 

“This is Julie, and I’m Gwen Tennyson.”

And, all at once, the entire situation became worse.

 _“Tennyson?_ Did you just say _Tennyson!?”_

Gwen continued frowning- looking annoyed and drop dead bored all at once- nodding jerkily.

“Yes. Tennyson, but the guy you’re worried about isn’t here right now. In fact, that’s why we’re here. To get him back.”

Kevin shifted slightly, wishing that he wasn’t in such an undermining position, or that he at least wasn’t upside down. It was humiliating. And stupid. And it was making him angry…

But what the woman was saying was interesting. The great Ben Tennyson? Missing? The warrior was half the reason that Kevin avoided going big. Everyone knew that doing so would mean getting into the sights of the so called hero, and that then they would be brought down. After all, Tennyson did handle the greatest weapon in the universe. Only idiots tried to rise against that, and only idiots got caught.

But now that Tennyson was missing…

He needed more information.

Trying to not sound like he was plotting, Kevin rose an eyebrow. Cool. He was cool. And he was a mask. He had out poker faced all number of creatures. He could outpokerface a couple of girls.

“What happened?”

Again, the two girls weren’t impressed. But then the ginger was sighing and gesturing slightly with her free hand towards the other girl, deep impatience obvious in her stance. She obviously wanted to get moving, to get somewhere else, to someone else. Kevin wondered where. He wondered if it had anything to do with the missing Ben Tennyson.

One way to find out. He turned his attention to the smaller girl.

Julie sighed, and there was worry in her eyes, then. And anger. And determination.

“A magic user called Hex. He managed to get the upper hand on Ben and knock him out, and then he transported him away somewhere before we could get to him.”

Kevin smirked. Couldn’t help it. So _that_ was what this was about.

“Ah, so you ladies need some man power to take out the baddie. Got it.”

Gwen snorted.

“What? No. We already took him out: he’s in custody now. And we actually already tracked Ben down, too, except we can’t get to him because there’s this stupid wall that’s impervious to magic and can’t get knocked down. It needs a key, a very specific key that’s being kept _inside_ the wall, and has to match the exact material of the wall- which was magically made and therefore can’t be mined and recreated naturally- to work.”

Kevin had an inkling as to where this was going, and he didn't like it. At all.

Gwen looked at him, and her smirk was something akin to what Kevin definitely listed as evil.

 _“You_ are going to be my key.”

“No. _No_ way. Nu-uh. Find somebody else.”

And Kevin wasn’t sure what he was suspecting, but it wasn’t for the redhead to stomp up at him.

“Listen here, Levin. My cousin has been kidnapped by some crazy magic user that he does _not_ have a good track record with, is probably unconscious or injured- because otherwise he would have been here by now- and has been missing for two weeks. You are going to come with me, act as a key and open up the wall, and allow me to get him back, or so help me I’m going to _destroy you.”_

Kevin didn’t let his voice shake, but it was a close thing.

“You’re one of the good guys. You wouldn’t do that.”

She scowled, and the grip around his torso became impossibly tighter.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t. Ben hates it when I do that…. But I would beat you up into a bloody pulp and turn you in, get permission from the court to use you to get Ben back, and drag you off anyways, except this time in chains. Your choice.”

The woman was terrifying. There was no other word for it. Kevin heaved a breath, fingers twitching in urge to fight and yell and be angry, but that wouldn’t help him now. The best he could do is go along with it and run away…

Or perhaps there was a better idea. The great Ben Tennyson was supposedly indisposed…. And that meant the power of the greatest weapon of the universe was only a touch away from being his own.

“Okay. Fine. Let’s do this. Some sort of pink energy beam lady, an osmosian, and a girl in a pink dress with a sword, off to stop the bad guys and save the day. Huzzah. Hooray. _So_ excited.”

He was hoping that his sarcasm might put them off a little, but all Julie does is give a small sympathetic smile.

“Um- actually- I’m not going with you. I can’t. My family had a hard enough time as it is letting me leave for a couple of weeks the first time we trekked up to the wall and stopped Hex and tried to get to Ben, and I promised I would come back to them after that. As much as I care for Ben… I can’t just _leave_ them and-”

For the first time upon setting his eyes upon the pair, the older girl seemed to soften ever so slightly.

“I get it Julie, don’t worry about it. Ben will understand, too. Go home: I’ve got it from here.”

The black haired girl smiled at the older, and then turned and walked into the woods. There was another chirrup, and then a flash of green light, and then a great roaring sound, something sweeping past overhead that Kevin couldn’t quite see in his position.

Gwen sighed, staring at him.

“Alright, let’s go.”

And then he was non committedly dropped to the ground.

“Hey!”

She snorted, started walking away from him with brisk steps. It was still weird, even now, seeing a woman wearing a pair of pants- and, upon closer observation, rather subtle armour and only a single, small pack that rested against her back- but Kevin had a distinct feeling that commenting on it would get him thoroughly beat up, so he said nothing.

And then he realized that Gwen was _walking_ away, not riding, and that Julie had left with the means the pair had probably originally arrived in.

“Wait- we’re walking?”

The redhead’s frown looked almost pained, and she slowly pulled to a stop, glancing at him through the corner of her eye.

“Yeah- we have to. Ship hates being separated from Julie,” Kevin took a moment to wonder again just what _(who?)_ on earth Ship was, “and I don’t have any means of transportation that I can bring you along with, especially over long distances.”

She turned, began walking again.

“We’ll have to move fast. The place where their keeping Ben moves every few days to an entirely new location, completely at random. Right now, it’s actually kinda close. But next week it could be halfway around the world.”

Kevin sighed, weighing his options. He wanted to get a shot at Tennyson, and right now his cousin- _Wasn’t that what she said?_ \- was his best chance of that.

Besides, he really hated walking. Especially if it meant several days of walking.

So he sighed, help up a hand, and called out to the girl striding steadfastly forwards, apparently sure in her belief that he would follow.

“Wait! I got a couple of horses in one of my safe houses. We can use them, if you want. Besides… I need to pack some necessities anyways.”

She paused yet again, turning back on him, eyes piercing his own, as if assessing if he meant it. Upon deciphering that he was telling the truth, she let out a quiet hum of surprise, turning her eyes once to the rising sun before nodding.

“Lead the way.”

And so they went.

The energy user laughed at him upon his revealment of the bright green and black saddles, but they worked and they worked well, and the horses never got chaffed with the light, easy material. Furthermore, they had a thin plating of metal on them, and Kevin would never complain about having an easy source of touch material for when things go south.

He didn’t say all that to Tennyson, though. Just grunted. They saddled up and were then on their way.

(In truth, Kevin had expected that he would need to explain to the woman how to ride a horse properly, maybe even ride with her if she was bad enough. But no, as soon as she was done mocking him she was expertly hooking up the saddle and swinging herself on in a single smooth movement that would probably have made Kevin's old riding instructor cry tears of joy.)

The first day of riding went by in silence. They rode fast and hard, the Tennyson occasionally pulling to a stop and closing her eyes- hands out as if sensing the wind- before changing their course ever so slightly. Only when the sun began to set and fade from the night sky did they pull to a stop and make camp, the girl walking in a solemn circle and placing up what she called ‘protecting enchantments,’ deep magenta characters lighting up the air before fading from sight.

They set up a campfire and said nothing as the stars began to peak out, and Kevin sat across from her and ate the soup that she had managed to conjure from… _somewhere_ , plotting, scheming, trying to find weaknesses to exploit and utilize when the time came to steal the power from Ben Tennyson so that he could get around her.

She sat pristinely on the other side of the flames, a small notebook of sorts resting on her knees as she nonchalantly flipped through the pages. Kevin watched her closely, but she didn’t look up.

An hour trickled by. The soup was finished and the bowls were washed, and all was quiet but the chirping crickets.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“Well, I suppose I’ll take first wat-”

“No.”

He blinked at the interruption, brows furrowing.

“Excuse me?”

She still didn’t look up.

“No. You sleep, I’ll watch.”

He scowled at her, and the Tennyson flipped slowly to another page.

“But you need to-”

_“No.”_

Kevin shifted, crossed his arms, rolled his eyes.

_“Fine.”_

He lay down. There was no way in _hell_ that he would actually sleep, of course: she was a sorcerer of some sort and he wouldn’t and couldn’t trust her not to cast a spell on him. But he could lay down, rest his eyes.

It was a long night, and neither one of them slept a wink.


	2. Forever Nights are Forever Annoying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boop. Hope you enjoy!

The second day was where the trouble started.

Kevin woke up with a hand pressed to his mouth and Gwen crouching down besides his head, eyes flickering around and a finger to her lips.

He nodded, slowly, and the hand was removed from his face. Gwen didn’t stand from her crouch, but she moved her hands in front of her in a ready position, the fingers beginning to glow.

And it was then that Kevin became aware of the steady marching beat of many feet crossing earth, the sound of trumpets filling the air, and an old familiar marching tune thrumming in his bones.

Kevin sneered, his lips turning downwards without conscious consent.

“Forever Knights.”

Gwen glanced at him, eyes narrowed in confusion, and he pursed his lips.

“They owe me big time. We had a deal and they backed out of it, stole the goods and ran.”

And then she was frowning, turning on him with a scowl.

“And were those goods actually yours? Or were they stolen, too?”

Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but the sight of her glare stopped him from saying anything. Instead, he looked away and found interest in the dirt floor below..

Gwen turned her head away, too, but she didn’t look at the ground, she looked up, at the just out of sight shadows of the army marching by.

“They’re heading West. There’s a town there… probably another attempt at dominating the free world. We have to stop them.”

Kevin began to nod, only to immediately start shaking his head  _ no. We?  _ What was this  _ we  _ Gwen was speaking of. Kevin’s job was to stick around, become a key, steal the Ben Tennyson’s epic power and eliminate him and his cousin, and then essentially collect a vast amount of wealth without trouble or people trying to overthrow him.

Kevin’s job was  _ not  _ to go rescuing random villages, even if it was against the Forever Knights and their stupid backstabbing, backing-out-of-trading-deals, stupid ways. He would be sitting to the side and not doing anything to ruin his future prospects of sells, _ thank you very much.  _

The redhead besides him didn’t seem to agree, hauling him upright and throwing her already packed bags over her saddle. With sort of scary efficiency, the fire was put out and their camp area was swept clean, and then she was swinging onto her horse and cantering off towards the army of knights, pink sparking at her fingers.

And, well, Gwen was his ticket to ultimate power. He couldn’t just let her run off and get killed fighting a bunch of angry dudes with swords and shields and various pointy objects that could lead to rather nasty deaths.

So he followed her.

They rode fast and hard, sliding through trees and leaping across small brooks and dips and too large roots. Gwen’s red locks were flying like a comet behind the bright blue of her tunic, and Kevin followed the colour like it was a willo the wisp, leading him to his fate across time and space and definition.

Their fast pace got them to the village before the Forever Knights, but only just.

Gwen stood in the middle of the dusty road, her horse safely stowed away at the borders of the forest. Her face was tranquil, if not a little narrowed at the eyes, and she was very, very still.

Kevin stood in the shadows at the corner of the building, hoping to stay out of sight and out of mind, hoping to avoid being associated with the utterly insane woman intent of taking out an army.

Except apparently the plan wasn’t as insane as he thought it was, because the Forever Knights came into view of her and immediately began to start pulling over and faltering.

_ Huh,  _ he thought, and then all hell broke loose.

The Forever Knights charged, Gwen lit up like a bright neon pink bonfire, and then there was the clang of shields and the sparks of magic blasts, and Gwen was  _ holding her own  _ against the hoards, only letting a few get past the boundaries that she had set in place.

Except, the few was more than enough to start a fire in one of the village houses. Kevin watched, frowning, wondering if the young woman’s powers would be able to put the fires out, except then Gwen was turning on  _ him _ and commanding him to deal with it, to get everyone out, to snuff out the flames before they got too far.

Kevin would tell her  _ No way _ ! except her eyes were literally glowing with power, her hands were lit up with what looked like magenta flames, and she was holding off an army of Forever Knights  _ on her own. _ Kevin valued his life, and would rather put out a little bit of fire than get on this lady’s bad side, especially as furious and focused as she seemed to be now.

(Later, he promised himself, when he had it all, he would make up for this.)

So Kevin went and put out the fire.

Or, he tried.

It wasn’t working. Kevin  _ absorbed  _ things, but not flame. It had to be solid, and touchable, and the red waves licking at the building were definitely not that. So Kevin clicked his teeth, touched the stone of the cobbled roads, and ran inside.

_ Get everyone out _ , Gwen had said. He could do that.

He ran inside and tried not to breathe, not really sure how helpful being rock would be in protecting his lungs. He got out an old grandma, and a young couple who were only a few years older than him. But their eyes were desperate when they turned to him- and since when did anyone turn to  _ Kevin  _ when there was trouble, unless it was with suspicion and blame- because  _ their daughter was in there _ and the house was starting to look unstable, and Kevin didn’t even stop to think about the risk before he was running back inside.

He checked a room, another, and  _ how many rooms did the stupid house have anyways,  _ but then he heard it.

Someone was crying.

He followed the sound upstairs and found a little girl crying in her room, curled up in the corner with tears streaming down her ash-smothered cheeks and a stuffed rabbit in her arms.

Kevin leaped across a fallen bookshelf and swooped her up into his arms. The house was faltering around them, now, he could hear it creaking and groaning under his weight, the wood shifting and giving way to the flickering flames. There was any time to run down and out the door. There wasn’t any time  _ at all _ .

So Kevin did the only thing he could think of doing, and rammed his way out of the wall.

The house collapsed behind him, and then someone was grabbing his hand, helping him to his feet, picking the girl out of his arms. The sun was blaring, and he only started a little when he realizes that the person helping him stand was Gwen herself, covered in dust and looking heavily drained, but no less injured than a single thin cut on her cheek.

“You okay?”

He nodded.

“Good.”

And then they were being surrounded. 

Kevin tensed, preparing himself for a fight, but then he realized that the crowd around them were  _ cheering.  _ Cheering for them, for  _ him, _ that they were happy to see him. His eyes went wide, and Gwen didn’t even blink.

Someone took his hand, and he looked down to meet the blinding grin of the little girl he saved.  _ Since when did people grin up at him like that? Him? Kevin Levin? Since when- _

The village leader came up to them, as well, offering feasts and a party. Kevin wanted to say yes- never turn down free food, after all- but Gwen was already shaking her head no.

“We can’t. I’m afraid that we’re on a... quest and that we’re rather tried for time. We shall have to save the festivities for a later date.”

They ended up getting some extra supplies and food, and then they were off yet again, as if the whole event hadn’t even happened in the first place. Gwen rode on in utter silence, the look of concentration and determination never leaving her face.

Kevin kept looking back.

Was this how it felt like? Being a hero? Being a  _ good guy?  _ Was this how Ben Tennyson felt like, every day of his stupid perfect life?

But Kevin wasn’t Ben Tennyson. He could never be Ben Tennyson. This was a one time thing and nothing else. What, did he think that he would be treated half as nicely if he hadn't been paired with the man's cousin? He was going to stick to the plan and get the ultimate weapon for himself, and then maybe the almighty hero might actually know how it feels to be the failure for once.

Kevin forced himself to not turn around again, but the temptation stayed strong, even when the village was long out of sight.


	3. river troll establishment - zero stars. 2/10. would not come again.

The ride was one of stops and go's the next day, the horses tiring and needing several breaks. Both of them were exhausted, and grumpy about it, and Kevin bit down on his short temper as best as he could and rolled with the punches. 

He slept last night, some. A little bit. Gwen had insisted on keeping watch again, watching him with tired but mistrustful eyes, and Kevin had fought and argued and had eventually given in. He could have stayed up the whole night, he supposed, but two nights in a row is pushing it, and he figured that there was no way Gwen would kill him while she still needed him as a key.

Still, his sleep was restless, filled with dreams about fire and pale scarred faces, of voices chanting  _ hero, hero, hero _ and then devouring him whole.

...not the best dreams he's ever had, to say the least.

So he went to through his day half asleep, eyes open but mind wandering, going through the motions of existence, tethering and untethering the horses, pausing for Gwen to use her creepy tracker magic, and mechanically chewing some sort of dried meat from the supplies the town had given them the day before as a parting gift.

His half sleepwalking state was why, he supposed, getting swept away by the river came as such a wake up call.

One minute, the two of them are calmly forging the wide spread river, their horses nickering wearily beneath them, and the next his horse is giving a panicked bucket, they're swaying dangerously in the midst of the current, and then the pair of them are tumbling under the water and he's being swept downstream.

Gwen's shocked cry is a sign enough to indicate she's in the same predicament.

There's water everywhere, rushing in a blur of white and grey. The current is tossing him in circles, bashing him to and fro against rocks, and only leaving him moments to catch his breath when he manages to come up for air before dragging him back under and disorienting him all over again. 

He can hear the nickering of the horses. He can hear his travelling companion's frustrated yells. 

Kevin lets the noises wash over him, gasps for air, and feels the cold river wash over his head once more.

It's tingling against his skin, vibrating and thrumming with some sort of ancient magic. This isn't normal water.

A voice whispers in the dark, great thrashing rapids come to life-

And then, suddenly, he's no longer in the midst of a stream.

He blinks, his head aching.

A cavern, of sorts, but larger and grander than any natural cave he's ever seen. The high etched ceilings seem to warp with reflecting ripples of light, although he can't see and water source.

At least, he couldn't, until his eyes focused on the truly massive being settled behind him in his haunches.

Kevin resists the urge to let loose a very manly squeal.

Besides him, Gwen groans and pulls herself into a sitting position, no doubt feeling the repercussions of a headache like his own. Unlike him, her attention snaps onto the potential threat immediately.

She scowls.

"What do  _ you  _ want?

The being's voice reverberates and scrapes at his ear, like shifting gravel across cement, long and broken drags across concrete.

_ "Can't I jusssst want to say hiii to an old frieeend???" _

"You lost your status as friend the minute you betrayed us and tried to absorb the powers of the Omnitrix for your own."

Kevin very purposely doesn't flinch.

The watery demon lets out something like a sigh.

_ "I supossse~"  _ it hisses, and then before his very eyes the creature seems to expand, liquid tentacles exploding from its mouth and grasping for Gwen.

And Kevin-

Kevin takes a step back and then another. Gwen's started blasting the creature with streams of pink energy, climbing up on self made platforms and keeping each other well distracted, the beast's roars echoing through the cave.

This is the perfect time for him to go. To run. Get out of this mess, back to his territory, and not worry about any ridiculous quest-

Gwen lets out a shout of excursion and practically  _ glows _ with the next burst of energy she releases.

And Kevin-

He doesn't think about it. Not really. Later he'll find some excuse for throwing himself into the fight, be it his impatience or his quest for power, but-

But for now he armours up and starts chucking any boulder in reach, sharpening his arms into swords and taking stabs at the strange liquid creature.

Gwen sees him fighting besides her, and her eyes widen in shock, before offering him a fierce nod and turning back to the battle.

A tentacle comes flying out of nowhere, and Kevin turns to face it, bracing himself to meet it head on and-

"DON'T LET IT TOUCH YOU!"

The shout is loud, tipping through the cavern like a crack of lightning, and he jerks to look at her and feels the surprisingly slimy yentack connect with him full force.

And immediately he is swathed with calm.

Everything is so  _ peaceful.  _ Kevin hadn't felt this quiet and content in his mind since before his dad died. In fact, perhaps this sense of utter soothing tranquility might have never entered his childhood either.

_ Drop the stone,  _ the calm suggests, and Kevin does, because why not? Everything is so wonderful….

He stands bare on his own skin. Distantly, he hears his travelling partner and the giant water being arguing, but he doesn't mind….

"- wouldn't you prefer that, Gwendolyn? He'll do anything you ask, no fighting, no struggling, just casual acceptance. Think of how _easy_ it will be to rescue young Benjaman, and all you have to do is leave me be-"

"You're a piece of work, you know that?"

And then suddenly there is a flash of pink, the sound of something shattering, and Kevin's mind is clear again, a fog lifting that he hadn't even realized was there.

Gwen is besides him, offering him a small look of concern. When he shakes himself back into action and reabsorbs stone from the carver floor, offering her a nod, she grins.

"Ready for this?"

Kevin raises his fists.

"More than anything."

If creepy mind controlling water monsters could pale, he's pretty sure this one would match snowfall.

The two of them leap into battle, taunts and snark falling from their lips, thrumming the sheer thrill that is a truly wonderful adrenaline rush.

And when it's over, the creature diminished to little more than a sentient pond, Kevin is flushed from activity and brimming with energy, and he catches himself smiling at the redhead in front of him, who smiles back-

He's about to make a joke, to congratulate her on her battle process,  _ something- _

Then the actual nature of their relationship suddenly strikes him, and his mouth clamps shut.

He's just doing this for the prize at the end of the tunnel. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He's not here to make friends. 

(He still finds himself laughing when she cracks a smart alec remark on the way out.)

When they finally camped for the night, enchantments cast and the fire burning low and long, Gwen sat in front of it with shadows under her eyes. She seemed just as determined as before, but more tired.

Well, he reasoned with himself. If Gwen was tired, then she wouldn’t be able to lead them as well the next day to get to his new epic power source. So, the only possible thing to do would be to let her sleep a little.

(And no, he wasn’t doing this out of concern for her. At all. Whatsoever.)

“I’ll take first watch.”

Gwen looked up, scowling.

“No way, Levin. I’ll keep watch, you sleep.”

Kevin felt his own face growing angry as well.

“Look, you’re obviously exhausted from all that… magic stuff, and I’m not. And you kept watch the last two nights so I’ll keep watch this night. It’s only fair.”

“My barriers keep things in as much as they keep things out, ya know. You’re not going to be able to run away.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

They lapsed into silence. The world was quiet around them beyond the chitters and calls of the night animals. Kevin stared at the flames determinedly until they burned so low that they were only coals, but when he looked up Gwen was still awake and staring at the fire as well, head resting on her knees, bags deep under her eyes.

The question was out of his mouth before he even realized it.

“Why are you so determined to get him back anyways? He’s a big hero; he doesn’t need any help.”

The redhead didn’t even look up before her own answer was out of her mouth.

“He’s family. That‘s what family does. We look after each other.”

Kevin’s first instinct was to think  _ No, they don’t,  _ but he wisely kept quiet on that.

“Besides, no one else is gonna do it. I have to take care of him.”

This made Kevin respond.

“What!? You’re kidding me, right? Ben Tennyson has followers across the entire kingdom!”

“Followers aren’t the same as friends, Levin.”

They slipped back into silence.

At least, they did, until Gwen spoke up again.

“We lost our grandfather about a year ago, and Ben took it really hard. Now me and Ben are on our own, and the world seems to have forgotten we were once a trio instead of a duo.”

She immediately bit her tongue afterwards, as if in regret that the words ever managed to escape. Kevin blinked, thought back, remembered the early tales about an older man that used to be a travelling companion to the young hero, back when Ben Ten wasn’t a household name or a major threat.

He was at lost as to what to say.

“I’m, uh, sorry about your grandpa, for what it’s worth.”

She smiled a little at him, and Kevin realized it was the first one he had seen from her.

It made her quite pretty, really. Gentler, kinder. 

Not that Kevin noticed. Or cared. 

“So what’s next? How long till we find your cousin?”

Gwen’s eyes lit up briefly, filling the night sky ever so slightly with a light pink glow before sputtering out.

“He’s close, maybe two days of travel away.”

He nodded, looked up at the stars. They were bright, twinkling down from the heavens, and as he looked the moon seemed to encompass his vision.

By the time he looked down, Gwen had laid down and closed her eyes.

Kevin thought she was asleep.

He was wrong.

“I’m trusting you, Levin.”

“A horrible decision, really.” 

She smiled again, eyes still closed, and said nothing in response.

Kevin smiled as well, small, and then looked back up at the night sky yet again.


End file.
